16 mostly celebratory things to do in Oakland, November 29 – December 5

Are you ready to kick off your holiday season? Well, Oakland is! You may already know about Plaid Friday, and that it and every Saturday in December are parking holidays. Most of these events are pretty dang festive, and it’ll just keep getting better. Enjoy!

Friday, November 29

Shop at Oaklandish on Plaid Friday and find premium-quality local apparel and accessories alongside a wide selection of goods from local makers. Free Plaid Classic shirts will be given away with purchases over $75, while supplies last! For more information, visit http://www.oaklandish.com.

The holidays have begun, so take a break from your busy plans and bring your out-of-town guests to OMCA to enjoy fun, festivities, and food trucks from Off the Grid. Savor California beer and wine in the amphitheater and check out all the galleries, live music, dance lessons, food demos, activities for kids, and more. Can’t get enough of Black Friday shopping? Visit the OMCA Store, full of artisan crafts and uniquely Californian gifts, or check out the pop-up holiday kiosk near the koi pond. Make your Thanksgiving weekend a warm one with OMCA. For more information, click here.

ZooLights Opening5:30 p.m.
Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Road

Hundreds of thousands of LED lights brighten Oakland’s night sky. Highlights include a “Candy Cane Lane”-themed rides area, a nighttime adventure on the Outback Express train, rocking around the Christmas trees in the Children’s Zoo, and a light show that’s sure to blow out any bah-humbugs. ZooLights continues through January 5. For more information, click here.

Clifford Lamb was born in New York City and began his classical musical studies at the age of 5. By the age of 18, the music of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea inspired him to complete 4 years of jazz studies at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. He has been a professional musician for over 20 years. Vocalist Lisa McCarthy has a soulful sound, worth coming to hear, without a doubt. Admission is $15. For more information or to make reservations (recommended), visit www.57thStreetGallery.com.

As Comet ISON heads towards the Sun, we’ll eagerly await its fate! In the meantime, come to Chabot and discover the wonders behind comets. Launch a bottle “comet” high into the sky, make a comet in our comet workshop, or speak to our resident comet expert on our observatory deck and take a trip to outer space with a unique Challenger Learning Center® simulated mission specially designed to explore comets! Click here for tickets.

Be healed, restored, energized, encouraged, inspired with laughter. This is a call to seasoned and young women from all walks of life, faiths, religions and ethnicities. It’s a sisters’ reunion, so gather your sistah girlfriends, mothers, daughters, glam moms, neighbors, aunties, nieces and come out to honor our past, present and future women of the harvest.

Networking is the practice of mixing and mingling while sharing and gaining knowledge and ideas. This is an excellent opportunity to grow your HR network, make new contacts and reconnect with other local HR practitioners. Whether you are attending to grow your business, establish new relationships, nurture existing friendships, or make job-hunting connections, you will enjoy the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Admission is $35, or $25 for NCHRA members. Register here.

Five-time Grammy nominee Wayne Wallace is one of the most respected proponents of African-American-Latin music in the world. He is known for the use of traditional forms and styles in combination with contemporary music, and has earned recognition in the Downbeat critic polls under the trombone and producer categories. On this night, 57th Street Gallery will also be celebrating the birthday of the owner Floyd J. Pellom. Musicians are Wayne Wallace, trombone; Murray Low, piano; Michael Spiro, congas/percussion; David Belove, bass; and Colin Douglas, trap drums. Admission is $20, and includes food. For more information or to make reservations (recommended), visit www.57thStreetGallery.com.

Sunday, December 1

Come join in the fun and celebration as we revive The Cosmic Mass in Oakland! This December mass features spiritual luminary Matthew Fox and guest speakers Joanna Macy and Pancho Ramos-Stierle, music by Ancestral Voice, DJ Dragonfly, Caroluna and video art by VJ Luna. The Cosmic Mass is an interactive community dance celebration, created by Reverend Matthew Fox in the 90s, that re-invents the form of worship. Incorporating cosmology, ritual, immersive visual art, music, spoken word and the practice of dance, The Cosmic Mass invites participants of all spiritual traditions to engage body and spirit directly. Admission is $15 – 20 at the door, or $12 online at http://thecosmicmassoakland.eventbrite.com, with no one turned away for lack of funds.

Tuesday, December 3

Oakland City Council and Oakland Redevelopment Agency Meeting5:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers, Third Floor, Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza

The City Council is the governing body of the City of Oakland, and consists of eight members who are elected directly by the citizens of Oakland: one representative from each of seven districts, and one at-large representative. The Council sets goals and priorities for the City, as well as approving the City budget, adopting ordinances to help the City serve its citizens, and appointing members to various boards and commissions. The City Council meets 2 – 3 times per month, on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays. A downloadable agenda is available at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/calendar/. For more information, visit http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityCouncil/ or call (510) 238-7370.

Wednesday, December 4

The City of Oakland will receive $3.29 million from the One Bay Area Grant program for construction of Phase II of the 7th Street Streetscape. Come and meet the design team and get an update on the latest design concept. For more information, please contact Hui-Chang Li, City of Oakland, (510) 238-6239, hli@oaklandnet.com.

This public meeting consists of residents of the Longfellow community working together to enhance its beautiful, dynamic, and diverse community, and nurture a friendly, safe and attractive neighborhood that everyone can be proud of. Committees include Transportation and Land Use, which deals with such issues as traffic calming and speed bumps; and the Neighborhood Safety Committee, which addresses the creation of neighborhood watch groups. For more information, please email longfellowcommunityassociation@gmail.com or visit http://longfellowcommunityassociation.org/.

Rick’s December Supper Club7 p.m.
Bocanova, 55 Webster Street

Owner/Chef Rick Hackett and Bocanova invite you to experience a special dinner series in partnership with the East Bay’s most notable winemakers and local purveyors. The 5-course, family-style dinner will feature a delicious array of winter-time dishes such as wild boar terrine with pumpkin and housemade garnishes, steamed mussels with housemade chorizo, and grilled pork loin with pickled cabbage. The dinner will culminate with Chef Paul Conte’s bacon and waffles with butter pecan ice cream. Priced at $72.00 per person (excluding tax and gratuity), this meal includes wine pairings. Seating is limited to 36 guests. For more information or reservations call (510) 444-1233. To view the full menu, visit http://www.bocanova.com/menus/RicksSupperClub_12_05_13.pdf.